Travel log #06 - 10

25.2.2017 Log 06
The journey towards the South continues. After few lazy days spent in coastal city of Dong Hoi we decided to visit another of Vietnamese national parks full of hills and caves, this one is called Phong Nha - Ke Bang. The weather turned bad, of course, and so happened that when we started our walk, the one hundred percent humidity changed into a proper rain. That can’t surprise us anymore. Nevertheless, what surprised us, was the fact, that on the left side of the road was a steep down slope all the way to a bank of a beautiful turquoise river and on the other side there were high rocks reaching up into the clouds. To find a camping ground around there wasn't easy. In the end - with a great bit of luck - we discovered a clearing and somehow fought out the room for our two tents. Humid and hot, that’s not an ideal condition for camping. I guess you can imagine the micro-climate that took place in our tents after a couple of hours... But a hardened camper can deal with almost everything.

The next day we reached our destination, the so called “Paradise Cave”. It is not our desired largest cave in the world, but it’s a huge one nonetheless. At some parts over twenty meters high and more than fifty meters wide. Hell of a cave, I must say. The largest cave, Son Doong turned out to be a place to be visited only by the rich. Three thousand dollars entry fee is way more than we were willing to pay for it. And even if we were, we’d have to stand in a queue, because it is fully booked for 2017. But Paradise Cave gave us all what we wanted. A rather modest entrance revealed a marvellous place. After this experience I can definitely imagine Salvatore’s Underdark better than before. Because we didn’t want to walk in a drizzle all the way back to Phong Nha town, we tried to hitch-hike for the first time in Vietnam. And it worked out so well! We stopped a Vietnamese TV crew. I couldn’t resist to take a selfie with their microphone. Back in Phong Nha we booked a bus to Hue and that is where we are now, taking a rest and waiting for the weather to become more favourable.

2.3.2017 Log 07
In Hue it was raining constantly, but even though I enjoyed the place a lot. We braved the weather and took a bicycle tour around all the important sights so I could enjoy oriental architecture, which fascinates me since my childhood when I was doing karate and was captivated by ninjas and the samurai. We saw a beautiful pagoda with enclosed Buddhist temple and enchanting bonsai garden (it didn’t require a strong imagination to see ladies in kimonos, monks and mandarins strolling around on the stony pathways), we saw burial grounds of last emperors of Vietnam - The Nguyen dynasty - and we walked around the ramparts of the imperial palace.

After the visit of Hue, we went to Da Nang - the biggest city we’ve been to on our journey so far. There the weather got better and the sun popped out. There is the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, spitting fire every weekend after sunset. Pity, that it was Tuesday when we've been there... Besides the bridge it is a big city like each other. Modern buildings, the characteristic bustle, and thousands of people. The only calm place I found there was the museum of Cham culture, where I could see ancient statues of Hindu gods and goddesses. The most enjoyable thing in Da Nang was the food.

And the third town, we have seen in last days was Hoi An. A not-to-be-missed place for every traveller to Vietnam. According to the amount of “westerners” it really wasn’t missed by a single one. Atmosphere and weather were both perfect and I can easily rank it high in the top-list of our travel so far. The only fact that shaded this nice experience was that I mysteriously lost my wallet with my ID, driving licence, bank cards and a “lucky coin” I bought in one of many Hoi An’s monasteries. Obviously it wasn’t that much lucky. Now we wait for a train which will take us nearby Da Lat (a fifteen hours ride, uuurghhh) where we want to visit Pongour falls and afterwards we will rush further south to Mekong river and sail to Cambodia, because our vietnamese visa will run out in seven days.

7.3.2017 Log 08
Our last planned stop in Vietnam was the Dalat city. To get there meant to spend 15 hours in a train and next 5 hours in a bus. No doubt that it was one of my longest voyages. According to our punk attitude we took the lowest class, the so called „hard seat”. The fun about travelling in low class is in the fact that you travel with locals, you hardly come across a tourist there. It is nice to observe how during the way the people in the carriage make friends, share laughs, peanuts and beer. Dalat is known mainly for its production of the only original Vietnamese wine and for the location in a highland. And I like hills. And pine woods... These were the first pine woods we met since our departure from Czech Republic and so we decided for a trip to Lang Biang peak with remarkable 360 degrees viewpoint . We hired motorbikes for the purpose of the trip and - given that I never before rode a bike - it was a true baptism by fire for me. Vietnamese traffic has the same rules that applies in other Asian countries: none. In the city itself we visited the „Crazy House” - a creation of a local architect which can be compared to the buildings of Spaniard Gaudi. There are only few buildings that can be described as a piece of art; this one I would describe as such with no hesitation.

After Dalat we took another long route southwards to Chau Doc, a small town lying on Mekong river, close to Cambodian border. The thirty days we had for Vietnam ran away fast and tomorrow is the day of our departure from the country. In the month I saw many unique places, spoke to many good people and had none negative experience. If you want to visit Asia and you do not wish it to be as „hardcore” as India or the Arabian countries, Vietnam is the place.

17.3.2017 Log 09
At the border with Cambodia we caused a minor excitement, when we realized that we are five dollars short to buy visas. We have been saved by an older woman with words: „Tell everywhere in the world, that there are good people in Izrael." We accepted her gift with gratitude. Then we sailed on on mighty Mekong, sometimes as much as two kilometers wide, and we arrived to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. On the boat we had a Czech company: two young, a bit posh couples. While entering the boat one of the guys commented on us: „Well guys, you reek just as I see you.” There is nothing more hilarious than when a fellow countryman speaks before realizing he's being understood. :-D

Phnom Penh is quieter, than big cities of Vietnam. People in the streets don‘t blow their horns so much and they try to be at least a little bit organized when driving. The Temples and old buildings look totally different to those in Vietnam. Khmer architecture is breathtaking. We spent one whole day sightseeing and beside many beautiful temples we visited the Royal Palace. There is this interresting thing about the king of Cambodia: he spent a significant part of his life in Czech Republic and knows how to speak czech better than khmer. Unfortunately there was no chance to have a chat with him.

After two days in the city, we longed for peace and relaxation and took off to the small town called Kampot, near the sea. We had enough of those long transports in trains and buses in Vietnam and we wanted to stop for a while. Kampot itself is a sleepy and quiet town, unless you live opposite the most fancy hostel with a pool, where the people party until the sunrise. That was after all the reason to move beyond the town. We came across a very well established eco resort called Ganesha. The place enchanted us so much that we decided to spend last four days here, speaking with people and doing short trips around. Tomorrow we will be heading to Koh Rong, to do more beachboying and snorkeling. Sometimes it is good to slow down a bit.

24.3.2017 Log 10
I think I never recharged my batteries as good as at Koh Rong Samloem. A small island in the shade of its bigger and more successful brother (that is absolutely all right from our point of view) was a sure aim for us. We enjoyed two days of the proper beach life on a place where a man doesn‘t come across many of a regular tourist. But when we got the information that on the other side of the island there is even more secluded beach, we didn‘t hesitate. The result: two more days at the Sunset Beach - crystal clear water, ideal conditions for snorkeling, which is slowly but surely becoming my popular sea-related activity, and the sunsets... Here I kinda lack the words to describe...

We probably wouldn’t have problem with getting stuck there for the whole month and that was the main reason to move on. Today we got back on the coast of Sihanoukville and tomorrow we will travel towards mangrove forests of Koh Kong. This was a rather spontaneous idea, but it makes me happy, because I was always fascinated by similar kind of landscape.